Regional Victorian chiropractor suspended over long sexual affair with patient

A married chiropractor saw had a years-long ‘intimate’ affair with a patient, and now wants his identity kept a secret.

The patients of a womanising chiropractor in regional Victoria will likely never know that he had a years-long sexual tryst with a patient, despite him admitting to flagrantly breach of professional standards.

The chiropractor recently had his registration suspended for four months and will not be able to work at his bust regional practice.

He was also ordered made to “undertake education” about so-called “boundary violations” and not having intimate affairs with patients, among a string of other conditions.

A professional disciplinary hearing at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard the then-married chiropractor had more than 160 appointments with his patient while he was in an “intimate relationship” with her.

Lawyers for the medical regulator, AHPRA, said the chiropractor’s conduct was especially disgraceful because the woman had told him she was going through a troubled period in her life.

Chiropractors are overseen by the medical regulator despite the pseudoscientific nature of their work.

The tribunal heard the veteran chiropractor was in a position of power over his younger patient during the period of their affair, which ran from for nearly three years.

AHPRA described the chiropractor’s breach of “professional boundaries” as “serious (because) the patient was vulnerable”.

The watchdog and the chiropractor’s lawyers all agreed a four month suspension would “send a message that this type of behaviour is not appropriate and that it will have serious consequences”.

The chiropractor’s wife left him after finding out about the affair, which he still blames on “stress”.

But tribunal deputy president Ian Proctor banned the publication of anything that might identify the chiropractor — including the town his clinic is in — after hearing he was emotionally fragile and the “sense of shame” from his misconduct being made public might trigger a mental health spiral.

The precise reasons for the chiropractor’s poor mental health cannot be reported for legal reasons.

Deputy president Proctor said he was “leaning towards” making the ban on publicly identifying the chiropractor permanent, meaning patients will likely never know his chequered disciplinary history.

He said there was “potential likely harm” to the chiropractor’s health.

A hearing on the permanent suppression of his identity will be conducted at a later date.